Suspensory



Nov. 15, 1938 J J CARTLEDGE 2,137,130

SUSPENSORY Filed March 11, 1937 FIG. 1

INVENTOR J.J. CARTLEDGE TORNEY Patented Nov. 15, 1938 UNITED 4* STATES SUSPENSOBY John Joseph Oartledge, Guelph, Ontario,-. Canada Application March 11. 192.1, Serial NIL-130,311

"lncanadaliarch 14, 1930 My invention relates to suspensories and socalled athletic supports.

.The main object of the invention is to provide a. suspensory which will afford the required lift 5 to the supported organs at all times.

Another object of the invention is to. provide a suspensory having a waistband which is self-.

anchored to the body, thereby remaining in its desired position.

10 A further object of the invention is to provide a suspensory which, while afiording the previously mentioned advantages, offers no discomfort whatever to the wearer.

A still further object is to provide a suspensory .15 in which unduly broad and heavy parts have been eliminated and in which the pressure of its various elements on the body is so well balanced as to prevent unnecessary friction, thereby reducing chafing to a minimum.

2 Other objects, as well as many advantages,

will become apparent in the following description of the preferred embodiment of my 'suspensory illustrated inthe accompanying drawing, in which:

25 Figure l is a front elevation of a suspensory made in accordance with the present invention, held in the form which closely adheres to the actual shape thereof when on the body; and

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view of the central 30 portion thereof slightlymodifled.

Similar reference numerals denote identical parts in the two views.

The suspensory consists of a body belt or band 3 having elasticity longitudinally thereof, though 35 in some cases it may be adjustable but not elastie, the ends of which are fastened or stitched to an abdominal or frontal piece 4. Piece l is also longitudinally elastic, normally so, yet, with other features remaining as they will be de- 40 scribed, may not be elastic for special applications of the suspensory. However, to simplify this description, it is to be assumed that both belt 3 and piece 4 are normally stretchable in 7 their length only.

45 It will be seen by reference to the drawing that the frontal piece is of hexagonal contour having top and bottom sides 5 and 6 longer than the four remaining sides although angles are all substantially the same. While not necessarily 50 so, the two upper sides of piece 4 have a length about equal to the width. of band 3, so that the two may be neatly joined together. The band 3 and piece 4. are joined by stitchings I in the present case, but it is evident that they may be 55 formed as a unit; the primary reason for de:

noting the central portion as a piece joined to the band is to clearly illustrate and claim the angular relation between them in order to attain the desired result.

With the angular relation between the belt or 5 band and the central or frontal portion, the band will follow around the waist in a horizontal plane from the back to the hip bones whence it'will descend on each side to, hold the front piece-in a lower plane; For proper lift, to permit free res- 10 piration, and for comfort, the front part of the support must be substantially low and, to attempt to hold the front part of the support without angular joints as shown, will draw the band over the hipbones, resulting in a loose, unsteady and very uncomfortable fitting. By the expression normal position as used herein, is meant the set or form that the front of the belt and the attached frontal piece and depending pouch will take when, for example, laid out flat on a table, whereby the back of the belt will, due to the construction of the suspe'nsory, lie in a different plane than the front.

The pouch 8.0! more or less conventional shape is stitched at its top to lower edge 6 of the frontal piece, its lower end being stitched to the end of two straps 9 adapted to pass one around the back of each leg and join in the front to the lower angular sides of the frontal piece 4 where they are stitched as at Ill. 7

It is obvious that the strain on the pouch is transmitted to band 3 which, if straight across the abdomen, will give unless the band is very tight which is still more disadvantageous. With the side pull transmitted to the hipbones by the '35 angular ends II of the band, very little longitudinal strain will be transmitted to the band itself.

If desired, although not shown in thedrawing, the upper part of band 3 may be stronger 40 by doubling over or by the use of heavier elastic material in the upper section thereof to further help the band to remain in place.

In the modification shown in Figure'2, the difference lies in that the frontal piece is substantially of the same width as the band, the pouch being longer in order to reach up to it where it is stitched at lower edge 6. The ends of leg straps in this case are stitched substantially at the lower meeting points of the band and piece 4. 5

While it is customary to employ leg straps of the type shown, that is, from the end of the pouch as at I! to the band, they are usually fastened to points above the hips. This results in a very acute pull on the straps responsible for their puckering and yet, with the ordinary auspensory it is impossible to fasten them forward of the hipbones sincethey will only cause sagging of the waistband and destroy all lift on the pouch. In my construction, however, it is possible to bring them forward at a low angle, approximately equal to the angle of the band. with the result that there is very little downward pull although they help to centralize the front piece and obviously the pouch.

While I have described my invention principally with reference to the embodiment illustrated, it must be understood that such changes which fall within the spirit of the invention may be made as are covered by my claims.

What I claim is:

1. A suspensory comprising a wide lengthwise elastic continuous belt of uniform width throughout, split at its front, a frontal piece arranged between the ends of and depending from the belt, said frontal piece including side edges having their upper portions inclining downwardly and outwardly for the distance of the width of said belt, means for securing the ends of the belt to said inclined upper portions of said side edges for disposing the front portions of the belt at an oblique angle with respect to the other portion of the belt to thereby maintain said frontal piece in a lower plane relative to the plane of the said other portion of the belt, a pouch suspended from said front piece, and leg straps connecting said pouch to said frontal piece or belt.

2. A suspensory comprising a wide lengthwise elastic continuous belt of uniform width throughout split at its front, a frontal piece arranged between the ends of and depending from the belt, said frontal piece including side edges having their upper portions inclining downwardly and outwardly for the distance of the width of said belt, means for securing the ends of the belt to said inclined upper portions of said side edges for disposing the front portions of the belt at an oblique angle with respect to the other portion of the belt to thereby maintain'said frontal piece in a lower plane relative to the plane of the said other portion of the belt, a pouch suspended from said front piece, and a pair of oppositely extending leg straps, each having one end secured to the back of the pouch and its other end secured to a side edge of the frontal piece below the upper inclined portion of said edge, the said ends of the leg straps secured to the side edges of the frontal piece and the ends of said belt being dis posed in oppositely extending intersecting inclined planes to provide for oppositely extending diagonal pullson said front piece for maintaining the pouch up.

In a suspensory, in combination, a belt, a

frontal piece, a longitudinally elastic pouch and leg straps, said belt comprising a wide lengthwise elastic continuous web of material adapted to encircle partially only the waist of the wearer and split to provide a pair of end portions at the front of the suspensory, said frontal piece being arranged between the ends of and depending from the belt and including side edges, said side edges and said front end portions being so attached to each other as to provide acute angles between the front end portions of the belt and the back portion of the belt at the upper edges thereof and in the normal position thereof whereby the front portions of the belt and frontal piece carrying the pouch will normally lie in a plane lower than the plane of the back portion of the belt, said pouch depending from said frontal piece and said leg straps being connected at one end to the pouch and at the other end with the front of the belt or the frontal piece, whereby to obtain a gentle inward and upward lift upon said frontal piece and upon said pouch on the stretching of the said belt.

JOHN JOSEPH CAR'I'LEDGE. 

